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Sunday, February 22, 2015

2-in-1 Easy DIY Farm Animal Cutting Boards

At our house, we are forever asking, "Where's the cutting board?" I guess it's because we home school, which means we eat all three meals at home most days, which means we are always preparing food, which means the cutting board is constantly being used. Know what I mean??

We definitely needed more cutting boards. Not just more, but smaller ones for those small jobs like cutting lemons for tea or slicing veggies for a sandwich. That's when I decided to just make some.

1. Choose your design and draw or transfer it onto the board. I knew I wanted to make a farm animal design and the traditional chicken on the back of a pig on the back of a cow seemed perfect. I cut a puzzle shape between the cow and pig so that the board could be used as a whole or as two separate boards.

2. Wearing your safety glasses, begin cutting your design out of the board. Be slow and careful as you cut any curved shapes. A scroll saw is great for making these cuts...just take your time and don't rush the cutting process.

3. When I made the interior cuts between the pig and cow, I first drilled a hole. This gives you room to turn the blade (if using the scroll saw) or it gives you a place to begin (if using a jig saw).

4. After all the cuts have been made, sand the edges and any remaining pencil marks with the sandpaper.

5. Now you're ready to seal your board. I used coconut oil because it's natural and will not turn rancid like vegetable oil. You do not want to use a protein or vegetable based oil! Begin by rubbing in the coconut oil with a clean cloth. Cover the entire board in an even coat. Let it sit for 12-24 hours in a warm place. Apply more to any areas that may need more and allow to sit again. Repeating until no more oil is absorbed. Wipe any remaining oil with a dry cloth and buff until it shines! You can repeat after a few months to keep your board conditioned.